Tommy Thompson

Tommy Thompson has been playing professionally since he was 15 years old. By the age of 19 his band Cookin' Mama had already played two shows at Bill Graham's Carousel Ballroom (Fillmore West) and another at the original Fillmore Auditorium.

Between 1979 and 1984 while playing with the San Francisco-based band HYTS, Tommy recorded two albums on Gold Mountain/A&M records ("HYTS" and "Lookin' From the Outside"). The band's video for their single "Backstabber" was played in heavy rotation on MTV. HYTS also performed on ABC television's Rock Palace.

It was during this same time period that Tommy began playing gigs with the Alameda All Stars, and it was via the All Stars that he first hooked up with southern bluesman Gregg Allman.

As Gregg's piano player (with occasional stints on Hammond organ) Tommy spent the 11-year period from 1990 to 2001 touring with Gregg Allman & Friends throughout the U.S., Canada, and Japan.

For his last six years with GAF, Tommy was Gregg's band leader and musical director.

No stranger to the recording studio, Tommy has worked on recording projects with producers such as: Jim Gaines (Sam and Dave), Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix), Larry Cox (Jefferson Starship), Matthew Kaufman (Greg Kihn).

It was in 1997 while contributing tracks to Gregg Allman's latest solo album, "Searching For Simplicity", that Tommy had the distinct honor and pleasure of working with legendary record producer, Tom Dowd (Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Allman Brothers).

In 2002 Tommy played Hammond organ on the live version of Jackson Browne's song "These Days" which is included on Gregg Allman's solo album "No Stranger to the Dark: The Best of Gregg Allman".

Album Credits

Gregg Allman
No Stranger to the Dark: The Best of Gregg Allman (2002 - Sony)
Searching For Simplicity (1997 - Sony)

Luvplanet
Luvplanet (2003 - SSM Records)

Shane Dwight
Come See Me (2003 - R-tist Records)

HYTS
Looking From The Outside (1984 - A&M/Gold Mountain Records)
HYTS (1982 - A&M/Gold Mountain Records)

Eleven Bloody Men
Eleven Bloody Men (1988 - Beserkley Records)

Guin Muranaga
No Name Blues (2001 - Next Records)

Robby Z
What'cha Want From Me? (2004 - R-tist Records)
I'm Your Man (2001 R-tist Records)

Jackson Stone Band
Risin' High (2004 - Jackson Stone Band)

Cookin' Mama
New Day (1972 - Rock Bottom Records)